A plotter, or plotter, is a device for accurately drawing graphic drawings, drawings and maps on paper up to A0 or other sheet materials. This is a professional equipment that can be found in the equipment of a design office, a design company or a printing company.
What does a plotter do
The plotter performs similar functions as an ordinary printer, but it is more overall, moreover, it prints on large formats, therefore it is not used for domestic purposes. Its technical capabilities allow printing on paper, thick cardboard, synthetic materials, as well as films, fabrics, etc. Often, plotters can not only draw, but also cut material to obtain various figures, labels and logos.
Such a device can be used to perform printing:
- Advertising posters.
- 3D postcards.
- Holidays invitations.
- Designer jewelry.
- Topographic maps.
- Drawings.
- Projects.
In fact, two different devices are offered under the name plotter. One is used as a large printer for printing, and the second cuts out the contours of the image, and can also draw it in one color.
Types of plotters
This equipment is highly demanded in the professional field, as it relies on it to perform many tasks. In this regard, the initial design of the device was repeatedly modernized, as a result of which various types of plotters appeared:
- Feathers.
- Inkjet.
- Electrostatic.
- PPVI.
- Thermoplotters.
- Laser.
Each variety is radically different in the principle of operation, as well as in capabilities. In this regard, plotters are selected depending on what purpose they will fulfill, as well as depending on the materials used.
Feathers
This is the most demanded plotter, which can often be cutting. Such devices are electromechanical equipment equipped with a removable stylus that moves in 2 directions under the influence of an electric motor. It moves along the carriage to the left and right, and can also rise from the work surface. A special felt-tip pen or pencil can be installed in its holder, which draws lines. Such a device makes drawing very slowly, therefore it is not suitable for performing large amounts of work. At the same time, high quality drawing is ensured.
Often, such devices can be equipped with a cutter that cuts the image along the contour. In the future, the resulting templates can be glued together, creating 3D cards, crafts, holiday invitations and so on. The simplest pen plotters do not have an enclosure and are simply a platform that sits on a sheet of paper. The pen clutched in them draws in one color. If necessary, the control program stops the carriage and informs about the need to change the color, which is done manually.
To equip most pen plotters, manufacturers produce special markers or pens that can be fixed in the cam of the device. The cost of such consumables is clearly overstated, and their resource is very modest. With professional use, you can write out all the paint in just one day. To solve this problem, special holders are produced that repeat the shape of branded markers and pens. They are empty inside, so you can fix an ordinary gel pen or its paste in them. Thus, the cost of consumables is greatly reduced. Any felt-tip pen and pen from a stationery store can be used by simply installing them through an adapter.
Jet
Such plotters work on the principle of inkjet printing, like printers of the same name. In most cases, these devices are equipped with a 4-color cartridge: black, magenta, yellow, and cyan. To obtain other shades, the standard colors are simply mixed.
The applied printing technology is capable of providing a high speed of drawing an image. The picture is quite high quality and with a high resolution. Inexpensive paint is used to refuel the plotter, and the equipment itself is relatively inexpensive. The disadvantage of such devices is that the paint washes off when it gets wet.
Electrostatic
A plotter of this type is an order of magnitude higher than previous devices. The technology used in them involves the application of an invisible image to a special paper, after which small drops of liquid paint adhere along the drawn contour. After that, the device dries it immediately, so the picture is not smeared. The advantage of this printing method lies in the very high quality of the resulting image. For the product to print well, it is very important that the room is maintained at the manufacturer's recommended temperature and humidity levels. Such devices are much higher than other varieties, and in addition, in the event of a breakdown, there is a big problem with their repair due to the lack of specialists who are ready to do this. It is necessary to contact the manufacturer's representatives, which takes time. This equipment has high productivity and printing speed, which allows it to be used in commercial activities.
Direct output plotter
PPVI works with thermal paper, which is impregnated with a special composition. The device acts on the surface of the sheet with a special comb, due to which, in the places of contact, under the influence of heat, the paper becomes dark. As a consequence, the image appears. In fact, this technology is similar to how receipts are printed at the checkout in a store. The indisputable advantage of such equipment is only in the need for special paper. The print quality of such devices is rather mediocre. This technology of applying the image allows you to get only a black and white picture. This is sufficient for design workshops, as well as for drawing various patterns and patterns, but for other purposes such equipment will be useless.
Heat treatment plotters
Such devices work in a similar way to a direct output plotter. The technology used allows you to first act on the paper, and then give it the desired color. As a result, you can get a full-fledged image with the required shades. The peculiarity of this equipment is that first one color is printed, then the next, and so the required number of times. The printed matter adheres well to thermal paper, does not fade, and most importantly, it does not wash out with water.
Laser
This type of plotter works like a laser printer. Using a laser beam, an invisible image is applied to the paper, after which toner adheres to it, which is then heat-treated. It melts, bakes and sticks securely. As a result, this image is no longer washed off with water. Laser devices can be black and white or color. They print very quickly, but when you turn on the printing of the first sheet, you need to wait a little while the print head warms up. Such devices are among the best, and therefore cost accordingly. The laser of individual devices can burn through materials.
How cutting technology is carried out
The cutting plotter is a modernized pen plotter. It has a holder in which a special cutter is installed. The head with the blade moves along a special carriage only to the left or to the right. This allows the paper to be pulled in by the rollers and move back and forth, allowing cutting in any direction. Such devices can handle paper, cardboard, film, photo paper, vinyl and even fabrics.
Many devices of this class are equipped with a special cutter that can adjust the depth of the blade in order to automatically select it for the type of material. Such devices are equipped with a special hard mat with a sticky base on which you can stick the material for cutting. This allows small cut parts to be held in place so that they do not fall off. After finishing the work, the figures are torn off with a small plastic or metal non-sharp spatula.
The sticky backing loses its properties with use and needs to be replaced. If this is not done, then the cut out small figures cease to be held, as a result, it becomes impossible to work.
What equipment to choose
When choosing a device, first of all, you need to decide what he needs to do. There is no universal plotter that can do absolutely everything. Such a device can either cut out an image and apply simple drawings in one color, or print like a printer. This is the main selection parameter. Working area and speed are also important. Everything is clear with the area, it determines what format of materials you can work with. The largest and most expensive plotters are designed to accommodate A0 sheets. Print speed determines productivity.
Equipment that works like a printer just prints the image, so the quality of the drawing will be an important parameter. As for devices with a cutting function, additional requirements are placed on them, in particular, the speed of movement of the blade. It is measured in millimeters per second. Simpler semi-professional directional devices give a cutting speed of 112 mm / s. Professional devices are capable of cutting 600 mm / s. Also, such devices have special requirements for the force of pressing the knife. The optimal pressure is considered to be from 200 g. This allows you to work not only with thin paper and cardboard, but also with rather dense synthetic materials, including vinyl.
Plotters
Plotters (plotters, plotters) are devices for outputting graphic information (drawings, diagrams, pictures, diagrams, etc.) from a computer to a paper or other type of media. Based on the principle of image formation, plotters can be divided into two classes:
Q vector type in which the writing unit can move relative to the paper in two coordinates at once, and the image on the paper is created directly by drawing the necessary lines and curves in any direction;
□ raster type in which the nib is simultaneously moved relative to
paper in one direction only, and the image on paper for
line by line from successively plotted points.
According to the principle of operation, plotters are:
□ feather; Q jet;
□ laser;
Q thermographic;
□ electrostatic.
Vector plotters are only pen plotters, other types of plotters are raster ones.
Pen plotters(pen plotter) are vector-type electromechanical devices in which an image is created by drawing lines with a pen, collectively called a pen. Pens, fiber and plastic rods (felt-tip pens), disposable and reusable ball assemblies, pencil leads and crayons are used as pens in different models of plotters.
Pen plotters can be:
□ roll;
□ tablet.
Roll plotters are more compact, convenient and accurate in work; they are most often used to create large-format drawings of A1 and AO formats, and the unwinding and cutting of the drawing sheet from the roll paper is performed automatically. Flatbed plotters are commonly used to create drawings in A3 and smaller format.
Feathers ink-consuming plotters provide high quality of both monochrome and color images, but have a low drawing speed, since it takes time for the dye to flow out of the pen and dry. In addition, writing units with liquid dyes require regular maintenance and cleaning due to frequent clogging of the dye supply channel with solid fractions, including dried ink particles. When using pencil leads, the quality is worse, but the drawing speed is higher and, most importantly, the maintenance of the writing unit is much easier and cheaper (just replacing the lead purchased at the stationery store). Felt-tip and ball-point pen plotters in their characteristics occupy an intermediate position between those considered earlier.
Leading pen plotter manufacturers: CalComp (which created the world's first plotter in 1959 - the CalComp 565 model), Hewlett-Packard, Summagraphics, Mutoh (in particular, the Mutoh XP 620 pencil model). I must say that pen plotters are gradually and intensively replaced, in particular, by inkjet plotters.
Inkjet plotters(inkjet plotter) when forming an image, droplets of ink are directed directed onto the paper using the smallest nozzles of the print head - the so-called "bubble" technology of inkjet printing, described briefly when considering inkjet printers. The quality of the drawings produced by inkjet plotters is very high.
There are three types of inkjet plotters:
□ monochrome;
□ colored;
□ with the possibility of color printing.
Colored inkjet plotters have a larger number of nozzles in the writing head, but their resolution is reduced by about half.
Plotters
To create a color image, the CMYK color scheme usually accepted in printing is used, that is, four groups of nozzles are implied, each of which receives a dye of a certain color: Cyan - cyan, Magenta - magenta, Yellow - yellow, NacK - black. Color plotters are often referred to as full color to distinguish them from color plotters.
Color inkjet plotters only allow lines or symbols to be colored, but they cannot paint entire areas in different colors.
Examples of inkjet plotters: Hewlett-Packard HP 220, Summagraphics Sum-majet 2M, CalComp Techjet Designer 720 (monochrome); CalComp Techjet Color, Hewlett-Packard HP 650C, Encad Novajet 3 (full color). The plotting speed of inkjet plotters is also low, so it is impractical to use them for displaying large amounts of graphic information.
Electrostatic plotters(electrostatic plotter) are based on the technology of creating a latent potential relief on the surface of special electrostatic paper with the help of recording heads and deposition of a liquid dye on this relief. To obtain a color image, the drawing process is repeated four times (CMYK color scheme), which, of course, is not very convenient. The second significant drawback is the use of special expensive electrostatic paper. The image quality and drawing speed of these plotters are high.
Thermographic plotters(they are often called direct imaging plotters) use a special thermal reagent paper that darkens under the influence of heat. The drawing is only monochrome and is applied to it with special miniature heaters made in the form of a "comb". The resolution (up to 800 dpi) and the drawing speed (up to 50 mm / s) are very high; thermal paper is not too expensive, and the machines themselves are simple and do not require regular maintenance. Therefore, thermographic plotters have become widespread, in particular, in design organizations with large volumes of drawing work. Examples of thermographic plotters: CalComp DrawingMaster 600, CalComp DrawingMaster 800, OCE G9050-S. Thermographic plotters are also produced that use a thermal agent carbon copy, while color printing is possible by performing four passes with carbon copies of different colors, but they have not received noticeable distribution.
IN laser plotters(laser plotter), a rotating drum covered with a semiconductor layer serves as an intermediate carrier. The semiconductor regions charged by the laser beam attract dry toner, which is then transferred to the paper passing under the drum. The toner-coated paper is then passed through a heater and the heat bakes and fuses the toner onto the paper (typical electrographic technology). The advantages of laser plotters are obvious: the use of plain paper, high image quality (resolution up to 800 dpi) and speed (up to 50 mm / s), noiselessness and full automation of work, there is a fundamental possibility of color printing, but the cost of the plotter increases. Recently, laser plotters have appeared that use potential relief
Chapter 7. PC External Devices
not a laser beam on the drum, but a ruler of point semiconductor LEDs (Light Emitting Diode - LED), which made the plotter simpler and more reliable (the so-called LED plotters). They are also relatively expensive, but they are used extensively in complex systems.
Examples of LED laser plotters: CalComp Solus4-A0, OSE 9555, JDL 4000E.
There are roll-to-roll and flatbed plotters, many of them have a very capacious built-in memory (from 2 to 64 MB), a display, allow you to select several (2-7) data formats, and have a number of other service capabilities. The built-in memory of plotters is used to improve their functional performance (speed, ease of use, autonomy); this buffer memory is loaded with graphic information, which is processed by the plotter processor when creating the image. For pen plotters, memory provides only a certain autonomy of their work, and for raster models it is also important for ensuring performance, resolution and image format.
When choosing a plotter, you should pay attention to the following aspects:
□ a set of functional capabilities, by which it is possible to assess the applicability of the plotter for solving specific problems (sizes of media and images, the amount of work performed, etc.);
□ the ability to form a color image;
□ image quality (resolution);
□ productivity (drawing speed);
□ reliability and convenience of work, level of service;
□ the possibility of the duration of autonomous work (without operator intervention);
□ operating costs, including the cost of media, consumables, device maintenance, power consumption;
□ plotter price.
Table 7.16 presents the main characteristics of some plotters.
Table 7.16. The main characteristics of some plotters
Model Company Type Format Resolution, dpi
Novajet 630 Encad Roll, color 1520 mm 600
Techjct OSE 9300 CalComp Tablet, AO 1440
laser, color
Falcon RJ-4100 Mutoh Roll, color 954 mm 720 х 1440
DesignJet 1050 Hewlett-Flatbed, JSC 1200
Packard color
DesignJet 2800CP Hewlett- Roll Color 1400mm 600 Packard
Multimedia tools
The task of displaying information presented in graphic form arose simultaneously with the advent of computers, computers, and its solution is one of the main goals of computing tools used in design automation systems (CAD). Devices that perform the functions of displaying graphic information on paper and some other types of media are called plotters or plotters (from the English plotter) - a term that, like many other transliterated English terms, supplanted its Russian-language counterpart. In the era of industry, the plotter has become a reflection of the professional approach to business from large organizations.
Pen plotters
Pen plotters are vector type electromechanical devices, and various vector software systems like AutoCAD are traditionally displayed on PCBs. PCBs create an image using writing elements, collectively called pens, although there are several types of such elements, which differ from each other in the type of liquid dye used. Distinguish between disposable and reusable (rechargeable) writing elements. The nib is attached to the nib holder, which has one or two degrees of freedom of movement.
There are two types of PP: flatbed, in which the paper is stationary, and the pen moves along the entire image plane, and drum (or roll), in which the pen moves along one coordinate axis, and paper along the other due to the capture of a transport shaft, usually friction. Movements are performed using stepper (in the overwhelming majority of plotters) or linear motors, which create quite a lot of noise. Although the output accuracy of drum plotters is slightly lower than that of flatbed plotters, it satisfies the requirements of most tasks. These plotters are more compact and can automatically cut a sheet of the required size from the roll, which has determined their dominance in the large PCB market (A3 format PCBs are usually flatbed).
Pencil plotters
Pencil and pen plotters (PPC, pen / pencil) - a type of pen - are distinguished by the ability to install a specialized writing unit with a collet mechanism for using ordinary pencil leads, which provides a constant pressure of the lead on the paper and its automatic feed during grinding. As a result, it is not required to constantly monitor the process of information output, as in the operation of PCBs, in which the dye outflow channel can become clogged.
Additional benefits of pencil technology:
- the pencil lead does not dry out, and the pencil writes at any speed (when using liquid dyes, you must take into account the time they flow from the pen and the drying time);
- a pencil allows you to draw on any paper media, including those of not very high quality; at the same time, the images are of high quality, give good impressions when copying, and at the same time, they can be corrected with an eraser;
- Leads are easy to purchase, significantly saving consumables.
All other types of plotters generate images on a storage medium using various physical processes, in particular, resorting to a discrete (raster) method of creating it.
Ink-jet plotters (JV, ink-jet plotter)
Inkjet technology has been described above, but here we only note that reasonable price, high quality and great capabilities make inkjet plotters a serious competitor to pen devices. The demand for inkjet plotters from users working with desktop publishing systems and CAD systems producing complex drawings of the A0 format is growing, however, the low speed of output of graphic information and fading over time of the resulting color image without taking special measures (using lamination or special "self-laminating" paper ) somewhat restricts their use. One of the cheapest options available to an individual or a small company, but has a rather expensive cost for consumables
Electrostatic plotters (EP, electrostatic plotter)
Electrostatic technology is based on the creation of a latent electrical image (potential relief) on the surface of the carrier - a special electrostatic paper, the working surface of which is covered with a thin layer of dielectric, and the base is impregnated with hydrophilic salts to provide the required humidity and electrical conductivity. The potential relief is formed when free charges are deposited on the surface of the dielectric, which are formed when high-voltage pulses are applied to the thinnest electrodes of the recording head.
When the paper passes through the developing unit with the liquid magnetized toner, the toner particles are attracted to the charged areas of the paper. The full color gamut is obtained in four cycles of latent image creation and the passage of the media through four developing units with the corresponding toners.
Electrostatic plotters could be considered ideal devices if it were not for the need to maintain a stable temperature and humidity in the room, the need for careful maintenance and the relatively high cost.
To achieve maximum efficiency, electronic signatures usually work as network devices, for this they are equipped with network interface adapters.
Also important are the high resistance of the image to the effects of ultraviolet rays and the low cost of electrostatic paper (at the level of high-quality printing paper). EP is used with a high degree of automation of design work in large organizations and in geographic information systems (GIS).
Direct output plotters
The image in PPVI is created on special thermal paper (paper impregnated with a heat-sensitive substance) with a long (over the entire width of the plotter) "comb" of miniature heaters. Thermal paper, which is usually fed from a roll, moves along the “comb” and changes color at the hot spots.
The image is high quality (resolution up to 800 dpi), but only in monochrome.
Thermal paper prices are now falling, the inherent disadvantages of the past (sensitivity to changes in ambient temperature and low image contrast) have been eliminated, and types of thermal media include standard white paper, tracing paper and polyester film. The quality of these media meets the most stringent archival requirements.
Thermal transfer plotters
The difference between these plotters and PPVI is that between the thermal heaters and paper (or transparent film) a "donor color carrier" is placed - a thin, 5-20 micron thick tape (for example, lavsan), facing the paper with an ink layer made on wax base with a low (less than 200 ° C) melting point.
On the donor tape, areas of each of the primary colors are sequentially applied with a size corresponding to the sheet of the used format. In the process of displaying information, a paper sheet with a donor tape superimposed on it passes under the print head, which consists of thousands of tiny heating elements. The wax melts in the hot spots, and the pigment remains on the sheet. One color is applied per pass, and the image is obtained in four passes. Thus, for each sheet of a color image, 4 times more ink ribbon is spent than for a sheet of monochrome.
Laser and LED plotters (LP, laser / led plotter)
These plotters are based on electrographic technology, which is based on the physical processes of the internal photoelectric effect in light-sensitive semiconductor layers of selenium-containing materials and the force effect of an electrostatic field. The intermediate image carrier (rotating selenium drum) is charged in the dark to a potential of hundreds of volts. A beam of light removes this charge, creating a latent electrostatic image that attracts fine toner, which is then mechanically transferred to the paper. The toner-coated paper is passed through a heater, causing the toner particles to bake into an image.
Some time ago, the creation of a latent image on a drum was carried out exclusively using a laser. A complex system of rotating mirror polyhedrons or prisms or lenses was used to control the movement of the laser beam. As a result, laser plotters are susceptible to shock and shock, which can disrupt the setup.
To avoid difficulties with optics and to make the system simpler, lighter and more reliable, we switched to the use of light-emitting diode (LED) lines.
Their area of application: complex technical design, architecture, cartography and more, that is, wherever the requirements for performance and quality of results are high, but the presence of color is not required.
Plotter (plotter) Is a device for automatically constructing diagrams or other images on paper, plastic, photosensitive material or other media by drawing, engraving, photographing or otherwise.
Distinguish:
tablet plotters for A3 - A2 format, with sheet fixation by electrostatic method and a writing unit moving in two coordinates (on a plane);
drum plotters with a carrier fixed to a rotating drum;
roll or roll plotters with a drawing head moving in one direction while moving the media in a direction perpendicular to it. A1 or A0 paper width. Such plotters use rolls of paper up to several tens of meters long.
Plotters are made in the floor and tabletop execution.
By the principle of construction, images are divided into:
vector plotters(They create an image with the help of ballpoint, pen ink liners, felt-tip pen, pencil. Currently, they are practically out of production);
raster plotters(Inheriting the design features of printers, they create an image by line-by-line reproduction).
According to the printing method, raster plotters are divided into:
– electrostatic plotters with electrostatic reproduction principle;
– inkjet plotters based on the principle of inkjet printing (squeezing out the coloring matter through the nozzles of the nozzles);
– laser plotters that reproduce an image using a laser beam;
– LED plotters, which differ from laser in the way of transferring the image from the drum to the paper;
– thermal plotters;
– microfilm–plotters, photoplotters with fixing the image on a light-sensitive material.
The main constructive and operational characteristics of the plotters: the format of the reproduced original image, the size of the working field, the accuracy, the resolution of the raster plotters (usually in the range of 300-2500 dpi), the speed of drawing or manufacturing a unit of the product of a given format, the presence or absence of its own memory (buffer), software (drivers, rasterization programs), the presence of a network card. Some models of plotters are equipped or can be equipped with attachments that complement their scanner functions.
Most inkjet machines provide printing of graphic files in TIFF, BMP, PCX format.
Scanners, classification and basic characteristics
Scanner This is a device for inputting color and black-and-white images from paper, film, etc. into a personal computer.
How the scanner works consists in converting an optical signal obtained by scanning an image with a light beam into an electrical one, and then into a digital code, which is transmitted to a computer.
Scanners are divided into:
black and white scanners in the simplest case, they can distinguish only two values - black and white, which is quite enough for reading a bar code (more complex scanners distinguish shades of gray);
color scanners work on the principle of color addition, in which a color image is obtained by mixing three colors: red, green and blue. Technically, this is done in two ways:
When scanning, a color original is not illuminated with white light, but with red, green, and blue sequentially. Scanning is carried out for each color separately, the information received is pre-processed and transmitted to the computer;
during scanning, the color original is illuminated in white, and the reflected light enters the CCD matrix through a system of special filters that decompose it into three components: red, green, blue, each of which is captured by its own set of photocells.
Asking the question of applying colored text, drawings and photographs to large paper, you will surely face an implementation problem that requires a special printer. In such situations, only a plotter can help. This device is designed to print on huge sheets of paper. This article will acquaint the reader with one of the most complex devices for displaying information on paper.
Varieties of plotters
First of all, plotters differ from each other in the way information is applied to the source. Printing can be inkjet, laser, LED and photocell. Of all these types, inkjet printing is considered to be the most popular, since its cost is much lower, in contrast to competitors. Themselves plotters are flatbed, drum, roll and friction.
Since a plotter is a device for outputting information, there are certain requirements for the quality of the result obtained. Accordingly, there are differences in drawing characteristics: the possibilities of the color palette, the presence of cutting elements, the types of writing elements and the ability to work with built-in fonts and large amounts of memory.
Jet printer?
Basically, a plotter is a printing device that works like a regular inkjet printer. There is a print head to which ink is supplied. This head moves on the carriage along special guiding mechanisms. The device software is responsible for positioning the carriage in the desired position.
The differences include high productivity, which is extremely necessary for printing high-definition drawings, because if the speed of the plotter's print head is at the level of an inkjet printer, then the result will have to wait for more than one hour. Naturally, the resource consumption for a given output device increases several times.
Difficulty positioning the printhead
No other printing device has such complex printhead positioning as a flatbed plotter. The information input device, which is responsible for positioning and moving the print head across the entire surface of the paper, resembles the operation of the GPS system. An encoder tape is located on the inner panels along the entire perimeter of the flatbed plotter, which has a special marking. The printhead carriage has a system of several lasers that constantly send a signal to the tape and, using special optical devices, obtain information about the location of the printhead. In the same way, drives that move the carriage in both planes position the carriage in the desired position for printing.
The difficulty of positioning is that for printing an image on a large paper format, the head tends to wear out due to frequent movement, which leads to misses during positioning. More recently, plotter manufacturers have solved this problem by installing multiple printheads in one device, which significantly reduces the stress on the mechanical components.
Available solutions
Any plotter is a device for outputting digital information, regardless of the source, medium and the output device itself. Therefore, it cannot be convincingly stated that this or that option is the best. It all depends directly on the financial capabilities of the buyer of expensive equipment.
If a plotter is needed for photo printing, then it is better to give the advantage to a drum device that works in one plane. When it comes to printing technical documentation, drawings, tables, diagrams and everything else related to vector graphics, then you simply cannot do without a flatbed plotter. Naturally, the more capabilities the output device has, the higher its value on the market. Therefore, before choosing a model of a plotter when buying, you need to think about its intended use.
Features of laser printing
If everything is simple with inkjet printing, then according to the principle of operation of a laser plotter, many readers may have questions, because this system requires a special roller that must apply positively charged toner to negatively charged paper.
In fact, the principle of operation itself has remained unchanged, only the role of the shaft in the laser plotter is performed by a special electrostatic head, which applies the desired pattern using a negatively charged needle in a given area of the paper, transferring a charge to it, and then simply sprays a positively charged toner over the working area. Then the paper is fed into the oven, which has a laser plotter. This is a device so that after the removal of electrostatics, the toner remains on the output source.
Drawing with feathers
For the construction of drawings in large enterprises, they prefer to use a pen plotter. The output device can work only with vector graphics and by the principle of its action it is very similar to a mechanical drawing board. In such a device, special pens or markers are used as a tool for drawing a picture. There is an option with a high-precision print head, but the cost of printing with liquid dye is more expensive, which makes such a device unclaimed in large enterprises.
As in inkjet printing, the pen attachment mechanism has a special carriage that can move across the entire surface of the sheet, with only a slight difference - the pen plotter does not stop drawing while the carriage is moving.
Cutting plotter
By default, the plotter belongs to the devices for outputting information to the medium, and further processing should be used using other mechanisms. This rule does not apply when it comes to a cutting device. Over the past few years, cutting plotters have become very popular in Russia. The purpose of this device is to print raster images and cut them along a given contour. Naturally, to work with such a plotter, a special source is required - a film on a substrate.
The device of the cutting plotter is identical to the inkjet mechanism with one difference - in addition to the print head, there is a laser knife, the work of which is prescribed in a special program. The result of the cutting plotter's work can be seen when buying hand-drawn children's stickers, which, having been separated from a special substrate, can be glued to any surface.
Compared to other devices, the cutting plotter has a small size and a very affordable price (from 3000 conventional units), which may be of interest to small and medium-sized businesses focused on the creation of children's products and mobile accessories.
Before buying a plotter, it is not enough to study only the technical characteristics that are required for printing. Experts in the media recommend doing the reverse search - start with consumables. First of all, this concerns ink, toner, pens - depending on which type of plotter the buyer decided to give preference to. If we are talking about inkjet printing, then the user must understand that it will not work to use low-quality inks - the price of the device is several orders of magnitude more expensive than a conventional inkjet printer.
Also, attention should be paid to the compatibility of the printing equipment with the storage medium - paper. Since the market offers a very large selection of any media having different density, material and price, which at first many buyers do not pay attention to. But over the years of using the plotter, they admit that it would be nice if their plotter could handle cheap consumables.
Finally
As you can see from the review, there is nothing complicated in the work of a plotter - it is practically the same printer, only in large sizes. The exception is the cutting plotter, because its tasks also include additional mechanical work. Now, having heard the question somewhere: "Is a plotter an input or output device?" - the reader can, without hesitation, always give the right answer.
